You ever have one of those nights where the world feels... heavier?
Not loud. Not chaotic. Just... off.
The kind where the streetlights flicker a little too much. Where the wind carries no sound. Where even the hum of the city feels like it's holding its breath.
That was my night.
Same as always. Same pathetic routine.
It was close to midnight — 11:49 PM. Manila streets were thinning out. The drunks were starting their third bottle. The workaholics were stumbling home. The rich were asleep in guarded condos. And guys like me?
Sitting alone at a cheap 7-Eleven, drowning in instant noodles and existential dread.
I poked at the soggy cup with a plastic fork, watching the steam curl like fading ghosts. Third cup tonight. Don't judge me.
The cashier was half-asleep, head bobbing behind the counter. A couple of stray cats fought over fried chicken bones outside. Neon lights buzzed.
Lonely, quiet, familiar.
Then... she walked in.
Door chimes. A gust of cold wind. A shift in the air so sudden it felt like reality itself hiccupped.
She wasn't just pretty. No. Pretty is what you call classmates, influencers, or girls on billboards.
She was... unreal.
Long, black hair that shimmered like liquid ink under the fluorescent lights. Skin pale as porcelain, almost glowing. A slim frame, dressed in a loose black jacket over a white cropped shirt, ripped jeans, and boots that tapped on the tiles like a slow heartbeat.
And her eyes... God.
Crimson. Not the kind you see in cosplay lenses. No. This was something deeper. Richer. Like staring into wine — no, blood. Swirling, pulsing. Alive.
She scanned the store lazily... until her gaze landed on me.
And then... she smiled.
Not a normal smile. It was... sharp. Playful. Like a cat finding a mouse that didn't know it was being watched.
She walked — no — glided toward me. Each step too smooth. Too precise.
Before I could even process what was happening, she dropped into the seat right across from me. Close. Too close.
"Hey," she purred. "Mind if I sit here?"
Her voice... silky. Smooth. Warm honey over razors.
My brain short-circuited. "Uh... s-sure."
She leaned forward, elbows on the table, chin resting on her hands. Her nails were painted black, but something about them felt... unnatural. Slightly longer. Sharper.
"Eating alone... this late?" she asked, tilting her head, lips curling.
"Yeah. I... uh... I do that sometimes..." I stammered, feeling my ears burn.
She giggled. "Cute."
My heart skipped. Wait — what?
She tapped her nails on the table, eyes never leaving mine. "What's your name?"
"Akira," I croaked. "You?"
She grinned wider. "Mmm... does it matter?"
"...I guess not." I tried to laugh but it came out awkward.
Her gaze sharpened. "You know... you have a nice scent."
My stomach twisted. "...Scent?"
"Yeah..." She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. "Like... warmth... fear... life..."
My hands tightened around the cup. "...That's a weird thing to say."
Her eyes opened slowly — and for a fraction of a second, her pupils slit. Vertical. Like a cat. No. Like a snake.
"Is it?" Her voice dropped. Smoky. Velvet layered over something... primal.
A warning bell rang in my head. Run. Run. Now.
But before I could move, she stood. Walked backward a few steps, then turned — glancing over her shoulder with a sly grin.
"...Wanna go somewhere fun?" she asked.
Every fiber of my being screamed no. But my mouth, the traitor, whispered... "Y-Yeah..."
---
The Abandoned Building
It stood a few blocks away. Crumbling. Forgotten. Half-finished and left to rot. Windows shattered. Graffiti scrawled over faded cement.
She pushed the rusted gate open with barely a touch, the hinges whining. "Come on," she beckoned, finger curling.
I hesitated. "Uh... what's... in there?"
She turned, smile widening. "Me."
My gut twisted. I took a step back. She tilted her head. "Leaving already?" Her tone sharpened — playful, but under it... hungry.
Then the door slammed shut behind me — even though I never touched it.
My pulse shot through the roof. "What the—"
A crack. Her back arched unnaturally. Bones shifted. Skin rippled like liquid. Her jacket slid off her shoulders, revealing skin that pulsed with dark veins.
"...You smell... delicious," she whispered. Her mouth stretched. Lips peeling back.
Fangs.
Not human teeth. Not cosplay. Not fake.
FANGS.
Her arms lengthened. Fingers thinned. Nails grew — sharp, black, curved. Her pupils snapped into full slits. Crimson bled into black.
"RUN."
That's the only thing my brain processed. And I did.
Sprinted. Heart in my throat. Breath ragged. The building blurred — dark corridors, broken stairs, graffiti melting into shadows.
Her laughter followed. Soft. Close. Then distant. Then close again.
"Run faster... come on... make it fun for me..."
Footsteps above me. Below me. But no — she wasn't running. She was... gliding. Phasing. Her shadow blinked through walls, floors.
Doors slammed shut as I reached them. Windows darkened. Even light refused to help me now.
My foot slipped. I caught myself on a railing. Cracks echoed beneath me.
Then — SNAP.
The floor gave way.
I fell — alongside her.
CRASH.
Dust. Metal. Screams.
When my vision cleared... she wasn't laughing anymore.
A steel beam — thick as my torso — had impaled her. Straight through her ribs.
Her hands trembled, reaching for it, but her strength... was gone. Her mouth opened, trying to speak. But no sound came.
Her crimson eyes locked onto mine — not with hunger. Not with malice.
With confusion.
"...Not like this..." she whispered. "...Not... ready..."
Her body... cracked. Flaked. Turned to ash.
Gone.
Except... for the orb.
A pulsing, blood-red orb — beating. Floating.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It hovered. Flickered. Then — with a shriek like metal grinding against bone — it lunged.
Straight into my chest.
"AGHHH—!!!"
My body seized. Burned. Shadows exploded behind my eyes. My skin crawled, veins throbbing with something — something wrong.
Then...
Darkness.
---
Morning.
I woke up.
On the sidewalk outside the ruined building.
Alive.
But not the same.
Birds chirped. Cars honked. The city moved on... like nothing happened. Like the world didn't just flip inside out.
I sat up. Head pounding. Mouth dry. Everything... felt too loud.
I could hear... rats in the sewers. Flies buzzing on trash bags half a street away. Breathing. Whispering. Footsteps from people I couldn't even see.
Then I caught my reflection in a broken window.
My eyes.
Red.
Blood red.
Not contacts. Not some trick of the light.
Real.
And that's when I realized... something was inside me.
Something that... wasn't human.